Picture scene
Déchets or ordures? Explore French rubbish vocabulary
Explore a courtyard to learn déchets, ordures and poubelle. Compare household rubbish, food waste and containers, then test four everyday expressions.
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In short
Les déchets is the broad word for waste. Les ordures usually means everyday rubbish, especially in les ordures ménagères (household refuse). La poubelle is the bin that holds it: Les ordures sont dans la poubelle.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
un déchet / les déchetsa waste item / waste
Focus: discarded materials, across many categories
Nous voulons réduire nos déchets.
We want to reduce our waste.
Les épluchures sont des déchets alimentaires.
The peelings are food waste.
les orduresrubbish / refuse
Focus: everyday rubbish, commonly discussed as a group
Le sac contient des ordures ménagères.
The bag contains household rubbish.
la poubellethe bin
Focus: the container
Cette poubelle est vide.
This bin is empty.
Explore the courtyard after lunch
Tap the objects, then try Find it. The peelings, cardboard and empty packaging are examples of déchets. Find the container too: la poubelle. Look for the bag beside it and the two tools used to sweep the ground.
Explore eight things in the courtyard
Find:
How do you talk about rubbish and recycling in French?
| French | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| des déchets alimentaires | food waste | Nous pesons les déchets alimentaires après le repas. |
| des déchets industriels | industrial waste | L’article parle des déchets industriels. |
| les ordures ménagères | household refuse | Le camion ramasse les ordures ménagères. |
| sortir la poubelle | to put the bin out | Tu peux sortir la poubelle ce soir ? |
| un sac-poubelle | a bin bag | Il reste un sac-poubelle dans le placard. |
Déchet is masculine: un déchet, des déchets. Ordure is feminine, and rubbish expressions usually use the plural: les ordures, le ramassage des ordures. In English, both les déchets and les ordures often translate as an uncountable noun: ‘waste’ or ‘rubbish’.
Il y a des déchets par terre. Je vais chercher le balai.
There’s rubbish on the ground. I’ll get the broom.
Here, déchets names the scattered waste. The everyday meanings of déchets and ordures overlap.
What does ordure mean as an insult?
C’est une ordure !
He’s a scumbag!
Said about a person, une ordure is a strong insult. The noun stays feminine even when the person is a man.